Free Fun in the Minneapolis Riverfront District, Minnesota

One of the things I love the most about Minneapolis is that there are so many great things to do outside – for free!  One of the best areas to visit during a trip there for free fun is the Minneapolis Riverfront District, which is part of the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, one …

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Byron Glacier, Alaska – A Family Friendly Hike Between Anchorage and Seward

I’ve now made three trips to Alaska – two with the kids and one alone.  I’ve seen several glaciers from afar.  They are beautiful, blue and mysterious. Until the most recent trip, I had never been very close to a glacier.  I’d never touched a glacier and had not even seen from closer than about …

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What is a Sugar Shack? – A Journey into Traditional Quebec Culture

I loved visiting Quebec.  Montreal and Quebec City were lovely cities, and they were full of charm.  But, they were cities.  They had a lot of history evident, but life had moved on.  Most parts of the cities were as modern as any other city, and you had to go into the “Old Town” if …

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When One Ecosystem Isn’t Enough – The Montreal Biodome

A lot of Montreal’s charm lies in the outdoors.  It is a green city, and perfect for outdoor adventure if you are visiting in the summer.  But if you visit in the winter, or there is rain in the forecast, it is smart to have an inclement weather plan.  The Biodome is perfect for this. …

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How to Get to Alaska’s National Parks

Alaska has a lot of great National Parks – but they are ridiculously hard to get to. Most of them are accessible by bush plane and the cost can be high. Some of the parks get less a minuscule amount of visitors as a result. Not all of the parks are hard to reach. Kenai …

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Five Reasons Why You Should Be Taking Your Children to Historical Sites

1. Historical Travel Can Help History Come Alive I think it is valuable to show children where battles were fought. Gettysburg’s field of battle was only 4 acres in size. Over 7,800 soldiers died. Those are just numbers. But standing on the field and realizing how small that was, how gruesome the sight would be… …

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Thousand Islands National Park, Ontario, Canada

I try to visit National Parks during any trip, and my trip to Ontario was no exception.  After checking a map, I found that except for Rouge National Urban Park, Thousand Islands was really the only park I was passing near.  So I took the bus to Kingston from Toronto, rented a car, and checked …

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The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota

The biggest ball of twine in Minnesota is in Darwin, about an hour and a half west of Minneapolis. Really. The ball is inside a plexiglass pagoda to protect it from the weather and the visitors. I have always wondered what it smelled like. I hate to think I may never know. The allure of …

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